The Strange Man
by whovianmidget
Summary: 6 years after the death of Neal Caffery, a 5 year old Neal Burke meets a strange man with blue eyes.(REWRITTEN)


"Neal, wait here, okay?" Said Neal's father as he guided him to a bench somewhere in the middle of central park. "Daddy has to take a work call, okay? I'll be right over there, and I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't leave this spot." Neal nodded enthusiastically and smiled brightly at his father. He was five-and-a-half years old, after all. He wanted to prove to his dad that he could take care of himself, if only for a few minutes. His dad returned his smile and ruffled his hair before he turned and walked another direction, not to far away.

"This is Burke," His father said professionally, the way he did when he talked with his co-workers.

Neal Burke's eyes left his fathers back and started gazing excitedly around the park, trying to find something interesting to satisfy his impending boredom. He immediately perked up as he saw a nearby ice-cream cart, and, as five-year-olds do, excitedly started walking towards it.

Logic then filled the child's mind as he realized that A) his father told him to not leave the spot he left him at and B) he didn't have any money for ice-cream anyway. Signing sadly, he dejectedly started walking back to the now empty park bench he was originally sitting at.

Suddenly he found himself tripping over his own feet and landing on his side, and soon after a stinging pain filled his body.

His eyes welled up in tears as he felt it, though he tried to not let himself cry. _Dad wouldn't cry,_ he thought, getting quickly frustrated, _Dad is a hero. He would've 'cowboyed up' and saved the day even if he was in pain. So don't cry, don't cry, don't cry-_

"Hey, kid, are you okay?" said a sudden voice from directly above him, one that he didn't recognize. "Do you need help getting up?" Neal looked up at the strange man and nodded slowly, forgetting the rule that he wasn't supposed to talk with strangers. The man nodded then picked him up, carrying him piggy-back style to the nearby bench he should've just stayed at all along.

As Neal sat back down, the man suddenly asked him "you're Pet- Agent Burke's kid right?" the man asked with a strange timidness that would've caught Neal off-guard if he wasn't only five years old.

Instead, Neal perked back up at that, momentarily forgetting his pain. "Yeah! My dad's a hero!" He stated clearly, as if there was no denying that absolute fact, because to young Neal Burke, there was nothing truer.

The man was now sitting beside the boy, smiling softly "He sure is," said the man, almost sadly.

It was then Neal realized the man looked a little familiar, but he couldn't place it. There was something about the stark blue color of his eyes, and his dark and slick hair, and his fancy-looking suit.

"Are you friends with my dad?" he asked, trying to remember where he had seen the man before. If he was one of his Dad's friends, that would make sense. "Also, if not, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

Them man laughed softly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm really good friends with your dad." suddenly he extended his hand. "But I've never had the pleasure of meeting you before. What's your name?" He asked curiously.

Neal smiled and gave his hand to the man, giving it a strong shake like his dad taught him to. "My name is Neal! Neal Burke."

The man seemed strangely surprised about that, because he stared wide-eyed for a second, then started blinking rapidly. He looked in the direction of Neal's father, looking extremely shocked and a little sad.

"I was named after my dad's old best friend. He told me he had died." Continued Neal, and the man looked back at him as he said that, eyes wet with unshed tears. "But Uncle Mozzie said he was the White Night and a hero." The man seemed to perk up a little at 'Uncle Mozzie,' but Neal got confused as a tear slid down the man's cheek. Why on earth would the man be sad?

 _Oh,_ he realized suddenly, _maybe he was also one of Neal's friends like my dad, and he's sad because he's dead…_ "Hey!" he said loudly, trying to stop the man from being sad because of him. "Don't be sad! Cowboy up!"

The man laughed loudly at that, and Neal was proud to make the man laugh, though he wasn't trying to. It was just something that his dad always said when people were sad or complaining about work stuff. But, the strange man was looking a little happier now, so Neal didn't complain.

"You really are your dad's son, aren't you?" Said the man almost affectionately as he reached out and ruffled Neal's hair.

Neal grinned as he said that, and the man smiled softly back at him.

"Hey," Neal started, suddenly realizing he still didn't know the strange man's name, "You never-"

"Neal!" he jumped at the sound of his father's voice calling for him, and he saw that his dad was walking in his direction while still looking at his phone.

"Dad!" he called out happily. "I just met your-"

Neal trailed off as he looked back at the empty spot beside him, and realized that the strange man was gone.

 **New A/N: yo! So after two years, and halfway through watching white collar for the fourth time, I'm** _ **finally**_ **re-writing this. Yay. I'd like to think i've gotten better at writing. I tried to show that this was from a five y/o's perspective so that's why the writing style is a lot less.. Well written. Oh well i tried.**

 **Again, I might write a sequel but i still don't know for sure, so i'll still mark this as complete.**


End file.
